Curse of the Lotus
by Jayrich20
Summary: Bolin and Mako discover a lost secret about their parents...and it threatens to tear Team Korra apart.
1. Chapter 1

Curse of the Lotus

"You're not going anywhere!"

Those words spewed from the sinister gangster's mouth as he and two of his equally threatening brethren surrounded an old man standing outside of his shop. They back him into the display window, closing around him as they made sure there was nowhere he could run. "Look pops, it's a good deal. Pay us well and you'll have the best protection in Republic City. Say no and…well, it's not our fault if accidents happen."

The elder store owner wouldn't be intimidated, though. "You young whippersnappers will get what's coming to you…once HE gets word of this!"

Almost as if on cue, the three thugs laughed at the old man's threat. "HIM? Please! There's no one who's gonna save you."

"I DON'T THINK SO!"

All four of them turn dramatically to see the source of that voice standing in the middle of the street; a muscular man wearing a surprisingly revealing variation of Earth Kingdom attire. Upon laying eyes on him, the old man's eyes lit up with joy, as the three crooks began to cower in fear.

"IT'S NUKTUK!"

"That's right!" The hero replied as he took a step forward. "And you three should learn to have more respect for the elderly!"

"HA!" One of the thugs countered. "He's only one Waterbender/Earthbender now! There's no way he can take on all three of us!"

His two partners back him up, nodding in agreement as Nuktuk simply smirked and folded his arms over his chest. The boastful one was the first to charge, and a quick stomp from Nuktuk dispatched him as he was launched into the air. The second crook motioned forward for an attack, but suffered the same fate as he too was propelled into the city sky. The final criminal played it smart and put his hands up, indicating surrender. Seeing this, Nuktuk's smirk grew as he winked at him. Before the criminal could question just why he would do that, he found himself crushed by a gigantic boulder; pinning him to the ground.

With all three criminals incapacitated, the old man rushed over to his savior and vigorously shook his hand. "Oh, thank you Nuktuk! Republic City and the World are thankful that they have a hero like you!"

"No problem, my good citizen!" Nuktuk told him. "For as I always say, when evil causes trouble, I…I…I could really use a snack right now."

"CUT!"

Bolin put his hand on his stomach as he saw the film crew break away from their equipment, with the director looking very annoyed. "I'm sorry, it's just that we've been at it since early this morning, I forgot breakfast and—!"

"This is what I get for wanting to break out of the Drama Movers." The director said to himself. "Look, take 5 kid. But we gotta get this scene done. People are clamoring for this Nuktuk sequel!"

Bolin barely heard the last part as he rushed over to the caterer's table, his eyes taking in the spread in front of him. It had been four years since Varrick asked him to step in front of the camera to play the role of Nuktuk, in part to help Korra's Home Nation. At the time he loved the experience and the attention he got, but now it felt like a chore. Though there still were benefits to being a mover star. Being able to dig in as he munched down on drumsticks was one of them…

"Shouldn't you save some for the rest of the cast?"

…and being the boyfriend of a noted Airbender was another, as he turned to his right to see Opal Bei Fong standing there, along with her partner Kai.

Bolin quickly wiped his mouth and dropped all manner of food he was holding. "Opal!" The two ran to each other and embraced lovingly, in a scene that made Kai roll is eyes and gag in response.

"Wait, I thought you wouldn't be here until the weekend." Bolin noted.

"We were able to finish the expansion to the west early." She told him. "So I figured I'd get a jump on our weekend together…plus Kai wanted a sneak peek at the new Nuktuk movie."

"It's not like that…." Kai complained. "…I only wanted to see the butt-kicking parts." He then looked out onto the set, noticing the stunt-benders helping reorganize the set and the fake boulder being rolled off camera. "Looks like I already missed it."

Feeling proud, Bolin put his hand on Kai's shoulder and began to walk with him and Opal on an impromptu tour of the mover set. "Don't worry my man, lots more action to come in this one. After this scene we got one that'll have me Waterbending down a waterfall. And right over there we got GAAAAAAAHHHH!"

A scream of fright came from Bolin as he saw two cloaked figures who he could spot in the fiercest of sandstorms; the Chieftains of the Northern Water Tribe, Desna &amp; Eska.

"Bolin, are you OK?" Opal asked.

"YEAH! Yeah, I'm alright!" He said. "Everything perfectly fine. Right &amp; fine, that's what I am!"

She cocked up a curious eyebrow. "You're acting weird again…"

"HEY! You probably made a long trip! You should get some food in you!" Bolin suggested, quickly changing the subject. "I just gotta go talk to one of the cast about the next scene. Boring stuff, but I'll be right back. Promise!"

He punctuated that by kissing Opal on the cheek as he led the two back over to the buffet table before rushing off. Opal still felt something was off with Bolin, but decided he had a point about their trip. As she went to reach for a snack though, she found Kai making an even bigger pig of himself than Bolin did when they arrived.

"You know, more food would stay in your mouth if you closed it when chewing." She snidely suggested.

Kai took a moment to swallow his intake before answered. "Hey, I'm an orphan. Table manners weren't high priority for me." With that said, he went back to shoveling in the delicacies in front of him as Opal opted to move down the table, out of the range of his mouth.

Meanwhile, Bolin's approach did not go unnoticed by the Waterbending twins. "It would seem that your former boyfriend has noticed our presence." Desna noted.

"Yes, it would." Eska agreed.

"Hey, Desna &amp; Eska! My two favorite Waterbending twins!" Bolin said as he caught up with them. "Good to see you again…you're not gonna stick around long, are you?"

Desna took a brief look around the area before answering. "No. This neighborhood has an unappealing nature to us."

Eska looked passed her former flame and noticed Opal standing by the table having a slice of Varri-Cake. "That woman, I take it she is your new lover now?"

Bolin's heart skipped a beat as he realized she spotted Opal. "Uh, yeah…That's her!"

"Hmm…interesting." She noted. "I would like to meet her."

Now Bolin's heart nearly jumped out of his throat as he stepped in front of Eska, halting her. "No! There's…really no need for that, at all."

"But with your elevated status as a Mover star, and my position in government, it is expected that we will meet again at various events." Eska logically explained. "It would be best to defuse the inevitable awkwardness that would arise from your present girlfriend seeing your past one continually at these events."

"Yeah, but—!"

"Eska, I'm afraid we don't have time for this…" Desna informed her as he motioned towards several robed men standing near an alley entrance. "…they're here."

Eska let out a barely audible sigh, indicating she was disappointed. "Then we shall have to have this meeting another time. Farewell Bolin, remember to scream out her name while engaging in intercourse."

Bolin smiled warmly as he waved goodbye to them, then turned around and shuddered as if he were in an earthquake. "Well, that was very stressful. OK, keep it together, Bo. They're gone and now you can focus on…"

He stopped himself as he took one last look back at the twins and their companions, and noticed the pattern on their robes; red flower pedals. Before he could react to it though…

"Bolin! There you are!"

His director approached him, cone speaker in hand. "We're ready for the next scene! Gotta get this mover going!"

Reluctantly the mover star returned to the set, though the image of the logo was still in the back of his head. But he left it there as he focused on the scene, and the actors got in position. Taking a look back at the director, he spotted Kai &amp; Opal intently watching from the table. Having her focus on him made all of his anxiety and nervousness disappear, as he felt determined to put on the best performance for her.

"And…ACTION!"

"No problem, my good citizen!" Bolin said, repeating his line from earlier more heroically this time. "For as I always say, when evil causes trouble, I will punch it in the mouth!"

It was then that he noticed a medallion on the ground next to the old man. He stooped down and picked it up, examining it closely. "Hmm, I recognize this symbol. It is the ancient symbol of Vaatu, my once and always hated enemy!"

Kai yawned at the awful dialogue as Opal simply marveled at her boyfriend's craft. It was one of the many things she got to experience being outside of the metal city and she enjoyed every moment of it. Thankfully for Kai things picked up as three mysterious men appeared behind Nuktuk.

"What the—there's no more action in this scene." The director said. "Eh, Varrick probably added it in another rewrite."

His comment didn't go unheard by Opal, though. "Did he just say there's no action in this scene?"

"Who cares?" Kai replied. "I'm glad there is now!"

Bolin was also caught off-guard by their arrival. "Oh man, did Varrick add another action scene?" He said to himself, before improvising. "And just who might you three be?"

Bolin got his answer in the form of one of them Earthbending a rock from the street in front of him, and propelling it in his direction. Bolin dodged the attack barely, and made note of that. "Whoa, close one. Alright, you asked for it!"

He motioned his hands forward, and a moment of later, two streams of water gently soaked the three attackers…courtesy of two hoses held by members of the film crew. The men did not look impressed, and responded with Earth attacks that sent the film crew ducking for cover.

"And something tells me they're not actors." Bolin noted, quickly shifting into his Earthbending stance.

Seeing him ready for battle, the enemy Earthbenders upped their attacks; launching pieces of street &amp; concrete with more ferocity. But Bolin stood strong, deflecting each piece of rubble aimed at him with small pillars he summoned from the ground in front of him. But be defensive was all he could do, as their relentless barrage didn't allow him to mount any type of counterattack.

But backup would come to the Earthbender, as Opal spotted his predicament. "Bolin's in trouble!"

Quickly jumping into action, she used her Airbending to propel herself right into the middle of the fray, as the three men surrounded Bolin. On her descent, she summoned a sharp gust of air which floored one of them, but he was quickly able to recover upon her landing, and continue his attack.

"OPAL!?" Bolin exclaimed, drawing up a circular rock wall from the ground. "What are you doing?"

"I'm here to help." She told him.

He was uncomfortable about her being in the fight, but knew there was no turning back now. "Alright, I…got an idea. Can you do, like…a big air gust thing?"

"Yeah…"

"Then get ready…" The Earthbender dug in his feet on the street, before raising his left and stomping down with all his might. The maneuver caused the wall to break into three separate pieces as they shot into the air. "NOW!"

Bolin ducked Opal channeled her ability and created a violent burst of air shooting outwards. It was enough to knock down everyone within range, including the director and several other mover workers. Kai was able to catch the wind with the help of his wingsuit, and ride it into the air. Needless to say, the wall pieces hit their marks with devastating impact, knocking out the men just as security arrived on the scene.

As the couple got their bearings, they assessed the damage done. "Opal! Are you OK? Any injuries? How many fingers am I holding up!?"

He quickly held up two, only for Opal to put his hand down. "Bolin, I'm OK." She told him. "I'm not hurt. I've been training with Tenzin and Korra, so I know how to handle myself in a fight."

The two were then joined by several passing Republic City officers. "Is everything alright here?"

"No." Opal answered. "These three guys just attacked us out of nowhere."

One of the officers inspected the now-unconscious Earthbenders. "Hey, these look like the same guys that were causing trouble down at Korra Park last night?"

Another one nodded in agreement after looking the three over. "We'll run this riff-raff in. Carry on. Oh and…I loved you last movie, Nuktuk."

Opal couldn't help but giggle as Bolin chuckled as well, but his mind wasn't on his role as he noticed the pattern on his attackers' clothing was the same as he saw from the gentlemen meeting with Desna &amp; Eska earlier. He also remembered what that pattern belongs to…The Red Lotus.

"Hey, big bro!"

Bolin waved to his brother Mako as he walked into the work area of Republic City Police HQ. He saw Mako at his desk, packing up for the end of the day. "Hey, bro. How're things in the Mover business."

"Yeah, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about." Bolin revealed.

"Well could you make it quick?" Mako suggested. "I'm off-duty now and I got a date in a half-hour."

"You're dating again?" Bolin asked.

Mako sighed. "Not really, but after Grandma Yin heard about Asami &amp; Korra, she started setting me up on blind dates. I know she cares and all, but…cousin Tu told me about some of the "nice girls" she knows."

"Aw, come on. They can't be that bad." Bolin debated as his brother slid a photo over to him. "I'm sure Grandma Yin has wonderful taste in—AAAAAHHH!" He nearly had his catered lunch come back up on his after seeing the photo. "OK…Grandma Yin may need glasses…does she have a mustache!?"

"So what do you wanna talk about?" Mako asked.

"OH! Right, so those guys that were brought in that trashed up my mover set…"

"Yeah, we can't really do anything with them now." Mako revealed. "They're in holding for the night and we'll process them in the morning."

"Yeah, that's cool, but did you notice anything familiar about them?" Bolin asked.

Mako responded with a confused expression. "Look, Bo, I don't have time to—!"

"I think they're Red Lotus!" Bolin whispered, cutting to the chase. "I think they're coming back! Zaheer said there were more out there, and I think they're coming out…from out there."

Mako paused for a moment, before shaking his head. "Those movers are starting to get to you bro, you're getting paranoid."

"But seriously—!"

"It's not the Red Lotus, Bo." Mako told him, looking into his eyes. "We took our three of their strongest Benders, and their leader is still locked up. Even if they did pop up, Korra would've sensed them before they could do anything. Look, I gotta go! Just…take it easy, bro. Stop worrying."

And with those words of reassurance, Mako grabbed his coat and rushed towards the door as Bolin tried to stop him. "But, wait…the logo—and…he's gone." And the sight of his brother disappearing out the door was replaced by both Desna &amp; Eska walking in. They were met by officers Lu and Gang, which filled Bolin with a little worry as he approached them.

"And it appears we've encountered your ex-boyfriend again." Desna noted.

Before the Earthbender could speak to them however, he was intercepted by the two officers. "Keep it moving, mover star. This is official police business."

"Uh, my brother is a detective." Bolin reminded them. "And we've both saved the day several times over."

"WHOA, look at Mr. High &amp; Mighty here…"

"Did not Chief Bei Fong order you to protect us?" Eska interjected. "Our protection would be fully maximized if you waited outside by our bags."

And in an instant, the cocky officers were reminded of their duty as they shuffled out the door to attend to the twins' luggage. "I shall watch over them, to assure nothing is broken." Desna said, following after them and leaving the two alone.

"Look, I know this is gonna sound weird but…those guys you were dealing with earlier, I got a bad feeling about them." Bolin told her. "I think they're part of the Red Lotus, that group your Dad belonged to."

Eska took a moment to absorb Bolin's words. "It would not be surprising in the least. They offered to fortify the Northern Water Tribe with their bending, in exchange for our finest Benders at their call. Though enticing, Desna &amp; I rejected their offer. We did not wish to follow in our father's footsteps…plus mother would not be pleased."

Bolin breathed a sigh of relief. "OK, well, just…keep on a look out. I know…stuff kinda ended between us, but I still think you're a good friend. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Although her face barely showed any expression, Eska was touched by those words as she brought her hand up to Bolin's cheek. "I too share those similar feelings for you. As I have said, you will always hold a special place in my heart, and the woman who you're receiving orders from now is a very fortunate one."

And before Bolin could respond, he felt it; a simply peck on his lips, a goodbye kiss from Eska as she turned to join her brother in ordering around the officers. It was a short kiss, but one that still lingered with Bolin as the good times with her began to flood back. From their first meeting at the fair to them fighting Unalaq side by side…it all came back.

"Yeah…lucky…"


	2. Curse of the Lotus II

Curse of the Lotus II

"Varrick, we need to talk—!"

Bolin pushed open the large doors to Future Industries office to see its spacious interior. The room was decorated with multiple trophies adorning the wall, and various stuffed animals. At the other end sat a simple desk &amp; chair, with a huge window wall set up behind it. Sitting behind the desk wasn't the man the mover star was expecting however, but the woman behind the man; Zhu Li Moon. It wasn't until he noticed an image out the corner of his eye did he spot Varrick in the room. There he sat on the guest couch, his skin pale and body trembling as he sat hunched over, huddled with himself.

"Whoa Varrick, what happened!?" Bolin asked, concerned.

Wearily, the business magnate lifted his head so he could face his pupil. "This…looks like the end, Bolin." He struggled out. "My…legacy…couldn't…last forever."

He fell back against the couch, appearing even weaker. "I can feel…my heart…fading out. The era…of Varrick…has ended."

Zhu Li rolled her eyes at her husband's display. "It's not the end, Bolin. One of the spirits vines we collected came from a plant Varrick is allergic to. I tried to get him to use the traditional elixir, but he chose to try one from the Fire Nation. What you're seeing is the side effects."

"Side effects, schmide effects!" Varrick argued as he hopped back to his feet. "Science marches on!" A moment later he fell back to the couch, passed out.

"Soo…he should be back to normal in a few days?" Bolin inquired.

"Zhu Li! Check my Platypus Bear stocks!" Varrick ordered as he awoke, before passing out again.

"He's normal now, but he should be back to full health soon." Zhu Li replied. "So what can I do for you?"

He turned to her and walked over to the desk. "It's…a bit complicated."

Zhu Li grinned. "Bolin, I'm married to a man who constantly needs me to do the thing when a crisis erupts. It can't be that complicated."

Upon hearing that, Bolin took a deep breath, exhaled &amp; explained. "Alright…my current girlfriend arrived in town yesterday to spend time with me, at the same time my ex-girlfriend showed up for a meeting. My ex-girlfriend wants to meet my current girlfriend so things won't get awkward, but I think that would make it super awkward. Plus I think there's some killer terrorist group about to attack my ex-girlfriend, so I gotta keep my current girlfriend separate from my ex-girlfriend, while making sure my ex-girlfriend stays safe!"

Zhu Li paused and took a moment to soak up what Bolin relayed to her, blinking once before answering. "Wow…now I see why Varrick likes you."

"Wait, is this about that Eska girl?" Varrick chimed in as he awoke again. "I thought I told you the best course of action was to run."

"No honey, that's never the best course of action." Zhu Li told him.

"Look, I know things got weird with the whole 'Chasing me in a crazed state of passion'…" Bolin told him. "…but…I don't want anything to happen to her. She's still a friend, kinda, and she's Korra's cousin. But I love Opal…"

"Y'see, Zhu Li?" Varrick pointed out. "There it is, the PERECT argument for the Multiple Marriage proposal. Schedule a meeting with Raiko, right after my breakfast with the Badgermoles."

And again, the business magnate passed out on the couch, as his wife breathed a sigh of relief. "Look Bolin, you seem to have a…unique problem, but not an unsolvable one." She told him as she handed him a pair of keys. "These are the keys to Varrick's Yacht. Take Opal for a short cruise and just explain to her what's going on. She's smart, strong and she loves you, so I think she'll understand."

"Wait, you're giving me your boat for the night?"

"For all you've done for me and Varrick, it's the least I could do." She told him.

The sun setting over the skyline of Republic City is a sight that few would argue against being picturesque. It's also a sight that Opal has just witnessed for the first time. Born and Raised in a Metal City, her Airbending has recently allowed her to see more of the world; and she was in awe over all the beauty it had to behold as she observed it from the deck of Varrick's Yacht.

"It's incredible…"

"Yeah, I always did love this view…" Bolin agreed as he emerged on deck. "…still remember the first time I saw it…couldn't enjoy it as much because of fighting an Anti-Bender revolution with Asami."

Opal smiled. "You never did tell me about that."

"Yeah…" He agreed again, his smile fading. "…there's some…other things I haven't told you, either."

"Like what?" Opal asked, turning to him.

Bolin sighed as he tried to continue. "You see, before I met you, well actually after I met you, too…there—WHOA!"

The ship rumbled and trembled as the Earthbender was tossed against the railing, with Opal falling on top of him. When it came to a stop, the two noticed that they weren't out in the waters of Yue Bay, but docked.

"Sorry, lovebirds!" The captain said as he hopped off the ship. "Boat's a little low. Gotta give it a refill!"

The old captain rushed down the pier to secure a fuel station as both Bolin &amp; Opal turned back to each other, laughing.

"Bolin, what were you about to tell me?" She asked.

It was the moment of truth for the young Earthbender, as he gulped and went through with it. "OK…Opal, I'm so happy that you're here right now. But there's also something that's come up, and I have to—!"

KSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!

"AAAAGH!" The two lovebirds put their hands over their ears as static from the radio rang out in front of him. Bolin walked over to shut it off, but accidentally turned the station dial. And as he reached for the power, a story crossed his ears that completely grabbed his attention.

"—informed that one of the leaders of the Northern Water Tribe has gone missing. Reports are stating Desna, who is rarely seen without his twin sister and co-Tribe Leader Eska, did not attend a scheduled meeting the Royal Twins had with President Raiko. The meeting of course has been delay indefinitely and security has been increased for the maternal twin Eska. Foul play is suspected regarding Desna's disappearance, but Chief Bei Fong has yet released a statement—!"

Bolin shut off the radio, having heard enough. His fear was being realized as he couldn't help but think the Red Lotus was involved. And even with enhanced security, he knew Eska was even more of a target now.

"That's terrible." Opal commented. "Aren't they Korra's cousins?"

"Yeah…" Bolin answered. "…they are."

"We should contact her, then." She suggested. "She'd want to know."

And with that suggestion, Bolin came up with an idea. "You're right, Opal. I'm going to Future Industries. Asami's working late there, so she might know where Korra is!"

He jumped off the boat and prepared to rush down the pier when Opal called out to him. "Shouldn't we go together?"

He knew she had a point and had to think of something fast, which he did. "No, you can go to Air Temple Island, in case she drops by there." He said, speeding off. "I'LL BE BACK AS SOON AS I CAN!"

She waved him off as he ran down the pier; a sight Bolin didn't see as his focus was all on convincing himself he was doing the right thing.

"I'm doing this for Opal." He told himself. "I'm keeping her out of danger. I'm a good boyfriend, I'm a good boyfriend…who's leaving his current girlfriend to protect his ex-girlfriend."

The Four Elements Hotel was considered to be the most lavish place to stay while in Republic City, with its accommodations coming the closest to feeling like living in President Raiko's manor. So it was no surprise that only the most important guests could book a stay there. With a guest list made up of the who's who of the Four Nations, it would be easy for someone to get star struck.

For Lu &amp; Gang, who were standing guard outside Eska's room, it only took seconds.

"No way!" Lu said. "Can't be her."

"I'm telling you, that is Ginger!" Gang debated. "She's stayin' just down the hall!"

"That's impossible!" Lu argued. "Why would she be here? Heard she was off in Ba Sing Se filmin' some new mover for Varrick!"

"I dunno…" Gang replied. "…but I'm gonna ask her for an autograph!"

He moved away from the door he was guarding, only to be stopped by his partner. "Whoa, what's the matter with you? We got a job to do!"

"Aw, come on!" Gang told him. "They tripled the officers on the lower floors. No one's even gonna make it up here! Besides, we ain't even had a break yet. 5 minutes, tops!"

Lu took a moment to think about it, before agreeing with his partner. Looking around for any prying eyes, they quickly ducked down the hall and around the corner to seek the autograph of the mover starlet. What they didn't know was that they were in hearing range of one man there; Bolin. Taking this open opportunity, he proceeded down the hall until he reached Eska's room. He knocked gently on the door to announce himself…

"Eska, you there? It's me, Bo—WAAAAUUUUGH!"

…and the door was answered by the Tribe Leader pinning Bolin against the adjacent wall with her Waterbending; which she also used to create an ice spike with her free arm. "WHERE IS MY BROTHER!?"

"ESKA…IT'S ME…BOLIN!"

Taking a good look at her captive, she released him from her hold. "Oh, my apologies Bolin."

"It's…Okay." He said, shaking some of the water off. "You probably thought I was some kidnapper or something."

"No." She corrected him. "I believed you to be one of the officers guarding me. The police in this city need proper motivation to do their job more efficiently."

The two retreated back into Eska's hotel room, where the Chieftain took a seat on the couch in the room. Even though she kept her cold demeanor, Bolin could clearly see she was troubled. "Do you know who took your brother?"

"No." She answered. "His disappearance occurred while he was in the restroom. I knew I should have accompanied him."

"Look, don't beat yourself up over this." He told her.

"I am not." She told him, her voice beginning to tremble. "I am just…concerned."

Looking at her face, Bolin could see it showed more than concern; she was worried. "Eska…" He knelt down in front of her, looking her in the eyes. "…we're gonna find your brother. I promise. We will find him."

She lifted her head to gaze back at him, and surprisingly her lips cracked a smile. "Thank you, Bolin…my little turtle-duck."

Bolin chuckled at her nickname for him as old memories once again reentered his mind about their time spent together. But what followed was something unexpected; Eska's lips to his. The kiss came from nowhere and stunned the Earthbender enough where he paused for a moment, still lost in their memories. But those memories were quickly replaced by the shining image of the woman he loved now, and caused him to jump back in shock.

"OK…OK…that wasn't right!" He said.

Eska rose to her feet, showing only a bit of shock. "You are right; once again I was caught up in the moment. And for that moment, you reminded me of the man my heart truly belongs to."

Still shocked by the kiss, Bolin grew curious of whom Eska meant. "I do? Who?"

"Prince Wu."

As those words left her lips, Bolin's jaw hit the floor. Of all the men he thought of that she could find appealing, he didn't even register. "Really? Uh…WOW!" He responded. "He's…quite a choice."

"Indeed." She agreed. "His feeble frame and naivety are endearing relationship traits…plus I heard he is a great singer."

"Well don't worry, you'll get to meet him once we get out of here." Bolin said, getting back on track. "I can get you to my brother Mako, and he—!"

Before he could finish revealing his plan, the Earthbender felt two large hands grab his shoulders. A moment later, he was flung back with tremendous force into the wall he was pinned against earlier. The man responsible for the attack then charged full steam at the mover star, but Bolin rolled out of the way in time, causing his attacker to plow halfway through the wall, getting stuck. Eska would then use her Waterbending to pin him there in ice.

Bolin wasn't out of the woods yet however, as he saw another large man approaching him. Thinking fast, he charged full speed at him, spearing him in the stomach and taking him off his feet before planting him against the wall at the end of the hall. This attacker responded with hard elbows to Bolin's back, to which he responded with hard kidney shots.

"BOLIN!"

Hearing Eska's voice, the Earthbender instinctively ducked, and a moment later the 2nd attacker was also pinned to the wall; encased in ice. "Why do you not use your Earthbending on them!?" Eska demanded.

"Because we're several floors up and this Hotel is made of wood &amp; metal!" He answered frantically, spotting a 3rd attacker coming from down the hall.

"That is a poor excuse!" She replied, ducking back into her room.

Bolin groaned in frustration and opted to focus on the upcoming fight, instead of explaining the semantics of Earthbending. This combatant was more reckless that the first two, but also larger. He swung wildly at Bolin, taking out chunks of the wall with each miss. Not wanting to prolong this encounter, Bolin lunged at the man's legs and took away his balance before lifting him onto his shoulders. The warrior fought back however, but a quick scan of the hallway gave Bolin the tool he needed to get rid of him. Summoning all his strength, he slammed the large attacker onto a nearby luggage rack, before rolling it down the hall towards an open elevator. The rack &amp; the man entered just as the doors slammed shut, effectively eliminating all three threats.

Exhausted, he marched back over to Eska's room, where she peered out. "Why…didn't you…use Waterbending!?" Bolin asked, catching his breath.

"My portable container has been exhausted." She answered.

Bolin was ready to give his ex a piece of his mind, when he suddenly noticed a dart landing on her neck. She fell limp, and would've collapsed onto the floor if not for Bolin. "Can't…move…"

"Not good! No, no, no!" Bolin said, picking her up and making a break for it. "These are the same…darts…that got…Korra…"

Now Bolin's body began to go numb, as he ended up dropping Eska in front of him, before going completely limp. Even though he was unable to move, he found himself still fully conscious, as he heard two footsteps approaching from behind, before coming to a stop.

"It's that Earthbender that hangs around the Avatar."

"How fortunate…now we have the ability to triple the impact of our actions."

Asami Sato was always a hard worker. Even with the events that unfolded in her life, she had never lost that drive to make herself and her company that much better. And though her life has brought tragedy, it has also had its fair share of triumphs; both business and personal. She never stopped working however, which was why she was the last woman in her building at Future Industries, wrapping up any and all impending business deals. As she grabbed her bag to exit out though, she was halted by the sound of her phone, which she promptly picked up.

"Hello?"

"Asami, I'm glad I caught you!"

"Opal?"

"Yeah, could you pass a message to Bolin telling him I arrived at the island? Korra isn't here but I take it she's with you guys."

Asami looked puzzled. "Um, Korra isn't here, either."

There was a pause on the other end. "What?"

"She's not here." Asami repeated. "She's back at the South Pole visiting her parents. I was just on my way to join her."

"So…Bolin's not there?" Opal asked.

"I haven't seen him in weeks." Asami revealed. "Is everything OK?"

Another long pause preceded Opal's reply. "No… it's not."


End file.
